Deadstuck
by Steventheman
Summary: Eight people try to survive a dangerous infection that turns its victims into flesh-eating zombies. Along the way they learn about trust, teamwork and friendship. And all that.
1. A1C1: Survival

_Witness the effort of me getting bored and doing something other than think of plotlines for Nanostuck or Alternia City.  
_

_-Steventheman  
_

* * *

"Last time I saw my grandmother, she asked if I were still a praying man. I said "Yes ma'am."...And she said: "Well pray harder, 'cause it ain't working!"

"Just before my bro set off for Vegas, he gave me his sword, and he said that I gotta look after myself now. I told him that I ain't a kid. I ain't heard from him for about 2 weeks."

"After I put a knife through my late mother's face to stop her from biting me, I sat there and cried. I never thought I would do that. I am thankful that I got a hold of myself before the rest of the horde broke into my home and most likely would've devoured me. Thank God John found me."

"My grandfather was the only survivor of my family. We spent a week on top of a office building, picking off infected. In the end they broke through and he died with a grenade in his hand. Saves me burying him, I guess..."

* * *

**ACT 1: END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (AND IT REALLY SUCKS.)**

John punched through the glass in the boarded up door and turned the handle. He wiped some blood from his knuckle and walked inside. He raised his sledgehammer and sighted a lone infected standing in the corner. He crept behind him and smashed him in the lower back. The infected screamed and fell to the ground. His head was still trying to bite John.

John raised his leg and stamped on the infected's head, killing him.

"You're in a better place now, buddy." said John.

"Stop getting so emotional about every one of those...things you kill." said Rose. "It'll end up breaking you."

"They're still people! Even if they're deranged, flesh-eating zombies they were still human!"

"They ain't human any more, bro." Dave walked into the room. "Stopped being human the moment they turned."

"Now look here!"

"John, calm down." said Rose. "Last thing we need is you shouting and attracting more of them. Let's just raid this place for food and get the hell back to the safe room."

"Fine." John started looking around for canned food and unopened bottled water. "You know the drill; No opened containers, no bloodied food and nothing with a corpse next to it."

"Guys..." said Jade, worried. "There's a group coming..."

"How many?" asked Dave.

"About twenty..." Jade walked into the shop and closed the door. "This isn't good."

"Oh shit." John looked out the window. Some infected were running and others only limped. "Got walkers and runners here."

Dave readied his sword. Rose unsheathed her knife. John raised his hammer and Jade pulled the bolt on her sniper rifle.

"3. 2. 1. Go go go!" John kicked the door open. The survivors ran out away from the horde with Jade firing indiscriminately at the crowd, lagging behind. John kept ahead of the others.

"Run! Fucking run!" Dave screamed as he grabbed Jade's arm and ran faster.

"Hey! Over here! Get over here quick!" a female voice called out.

"Where are you?" Dave called out.

"In here!" a woman with red sunglasses and a police uniform called from a second story window. "Karkat! Open the door now!"

The door of their fortress opened, and there was a man with an afro and body armour standing at the door, wielding a sickle. "Get the fuck in here!"

The survivors ran through the door, closely tailed by a few runners. Karkat slashed at them until they fell. He locked the door.

"Who're you?" asked John.

"Karkat Vantas, I owned this shop before these fuckers arrived."

"Name's John, John Egbert. This is Dave Strider, Rose Lalonde and Jade Harley."

"You got a gun, huh?" Karkat said, looking at Jade. "Terezi ran outta ammo a while ago. She's been relying on a home-made spear since. We're back to the fucking stone age! I never thought I'd have to share a bedroll with someone around a fire, singing a fucking camp song."

"So you two..?" Jade wondered out loud.

"Hell no. I mean, sure she's blind, so she can't see how ugly I am, but she ain't a looker."

"I don't know man..." said Dave, looking at the policewoman.

"Dave, really?" said Rose. "You know a girl for five minutes and you already have the hots for her?"

"Hey, I ain't had nothing to smile about for three weeks."

"Wow, what a testament to the resilience of David Strider."

"Hey, I don't want: "Here lies Dave, he ran fast and died a virgin" on my gravestone."

"Right, we're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Everyone we know is dead or infected. _I had to stab my own mother in the face._ Jade saw her grandfather blow himself up. John saw his own daughter turn and he had to mercy kill her. How can any sort of sexual behavior cross your mind!"

"Again, I ain't had nothing to smile about in weeks." Dave shrugged.

"You're completely retarded, you know that?"

"Yep. Thanks." Dave took a small cloth and cleaned his katana.

"I can hear you." said Terezi. "I'm blind, not stupid."

"Oh shit." said Dave.

Rose reclined, confident that she won that argument.

* * *

Jade sipped the cup of coffee. She looked outside at some infected. She counted about fifteen. She sighed and picked up the rifle and killed about seven looking like they were in the most pain. Then she continued to watch the rest shamble. One dropped dead from the infection.

"Jade? You awake?" John asked.

"Yeah...I'm just watching these poor guys."

John picked up the rifle, reloaded and shot the remainder. "There..."

"I suppose we're better off killing a lot of them."

"As long as this is incurable, I suppose they're wishing to die." John sighed. "It tests my faith, in a way. I'm wondering how God is allowing this."

"Maybe it's the End Times."

"Maybe." John sat down next to Jade. "But then it's pointless trying to survive."

"But we have to." Jade said. John wondered how Jade still kept her optimism.

"I suppose."

Karkat stood behind Jade and John.

"Don't waste your ammo just picking them off if they pose no threat. I know it's better but we have to think about ourselves right now."

"But I can see them screaming." Jade said. "I see them, and they call out to me."

"Look, Jade. I know it's upsetting, and it really fucking sucks to leave them hanging, but there's nothing we can do, so suck it up and make sure we don't join their ranks."

"Hmph." Jade grunted. Karkat walked to his bedroll. There were three bed rolls in the room; one for Karkat and Terezi, one for Dave and Jade and the last for John and Rose. They surrounded a small barrel on fire.

"Jade, go to sleep, I'll take over guarding." John said, tapping Jade on the shoulder. She got up and climbed into her bedroll. John put his elbows on the window and put his hands together and said a short prayer. He then picked up the rifle and watched the now-empty street. He saw a lone runner and shot her before she could reach the shop.

John looked at the others and sighed.

_If only we met under better circumstances..._


	2. A1C2: Retreat

_So as you can tell, I love the zombie genre. I used to plan for it._

_And this took longer to write than I would find ideal.  
_

_-Steventheman.  
_

* * *

Jade woke up. She heard a moaning noise coming from downstairs. She turned around and shook Dave's shoulder.

"Dave. Daaavvvee!" she whispered loudly. "Wake up."

"Mmmm...What is it?" Dave said sleepily.

"I can hear someone...downstairs..." Jade said, clearly worried.

Dave and Jade got up. Jade took her rifle and Dave picked up his katana. Jade stayed behind Dave as they descended the stairs. Dave opened the door and saw a unfamiliar zombie. It had protruding tumours from it's throat and it coughed up blood. It was wearing a hospital gown.

Dave readied his sword to decapitate it when it sensed them and turned around. Dave stabbed it in the throat but his sword bounced off when he struck the tumour.

"What the fuck!" Dave shouted in disbelief, looking at his sword. "It just bounced off that lump in it's neck!"

Jade fired at the head and that managed to kill it. The zombie wheezed and fell to the ground. Dave called upstairs. "Hey! Everyone! Come check this shit out!"

The other survivors ran down the stairs except for Nepeta and Equius. They looked at the zombie's corpse.

"One of those things broke in?" said Terezi.

"How? Who left the door unlocked?" asked Karkat.

"You. It's your job to lock the door." said Rose.

"Shit, sorry."

"You could've gotten us all killed, idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot! I was fucking tired!"

"Oh shut up!" Rose shouted. "You just piss everyone off."

"Don't tell me to shut up, Lalonde or I'll fucking leave you to fend for yourself!"

"Then you'll have to throw me out too, bro." said Dave.

"Make that two." said Jade.

"She goes. I go." said John. "So go on, throw us out."

Terezi put her hand on Karkat's shoulder. "Karkat?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut the hell up." Terezi slapped Karkat.

There was a great din outside.

"What was that?" asked Nepeta. Equius peeked through the door's window.

"Umm..." Equius looked panicked. "Mr. Vantas, do you have a back door?"

"Yeah, why?"

"There's a massive horde coming. No doubt attracted by this shouting match."

"Fuck...Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!" Karkat shouted.

"You're not helping matters, sir."

"Shut up. Look everyone get some gear and haul ass! Move!" Karkat grabbed his sickle and a bag of canned food and bottled water.

When everyone gathered their equipment, they made their way to the back door. Nepeta was starting to walk on her own now.

The horde smashed down the front door and poured into the shop. Several runners noticed Nepeta and ran for her. Equius put himself between the horde and the girl. He kicked one runner in the face then picked him up and threw him at the others to knock them down. He then lifted Nepeta over his shoulder and ran to rejoin the others.

"What a pissload of fuck." said Karkat as they walked down the empty street.

"I know. This fucking sucks." said Dave.

"Can you mind your langauge around Nepeta?" asked Equius.

"Dude, she's fourteen. If she hasn't heard a single swear by now she's had a sheltered existence." said Dave.

"It's just that-"

"Suck it up." interrupted Karkat.

"...Fine." Equius said.

The group saw a light in the distance that was getting closer and heard a motorbike engine. Terezi covered her ears in pain. It was a police motorbike with all lights on.

The rider drawn an machine pistol and started firing wildly at the group.

"Jesus!" yelled Rose. She dived, taking John and Jade with her to behind a crashed car.

"WE'RE HUMANS YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" yelled Karkat.

"Good diplomacy there bro." said Dave. "Real respectful."

The rider stopped. He got off his bike and reloaded. He was wearing a prison jumpsuit stained with blood. He was wearing a riot helmet.

"Well...What have we here?" he said from behind his helmet.

"We really did not like your entrance!" shouted Jade. "Quite frankly, it sucked!"

The rider laughed. He grabbed Jade.

"What in God's great name?" shouted John. "Let her go!"

"No way. I have been through so much carp and I need to have some fun. This here's my prize!"

"What!" shouted Karkat. "Listen, motherfucker. You'll let her go."

"Nah."

Jade pulled the rider's arm and threw him over herself. She aimed her rifle at his face. Terezi removed his helmet. He had a purple highlight in his hair which Terezi smelt immedietly.

"Eridan Ampora?"

"Yes?" asked Eridan with a smirk on his face. "You rang, officer?"

"What the fuck is wrong with this guy?" said Dave. Terezi looked at the others.

"This monster was sentenced to death for rape, murder and mutilation."

"What?" shouted John.

Eridan grabbed the barrel of Jade's rifle and smacked Terezi in the face with the butt. He jumped up and got back on his motorcycle.

"Nice warrant, officer." he produced his MAC-10 again. "I'm afraid you'll never take me alive, though."

"I wasn't planning to." she replied.

Eridan revved the engine and charged at Terezi. Karkat grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way.

"Dave!" Terezi called.

"Yeah?"

"Get the others into cover! We're the most equipped to deal with him!"

The other six hid in a shop. While Eridan fired at the others, Terezi and Dave ran at him. Eridan turned around and drove away. He produced a large machete.

"LET'S SEE HOW MUCH BLOOD'S IN YA!" he shouted. He charged at Dave who was holding his sword to decapitate Eridan. Terezi flipped her spear around and whacked Eridan in the face, hitting him from his bike. Eridan swiped up with the machete, catching Terezi in the arm. She flipped the spear around and went to stab Eridan but he rolled. He slashed at Dave. Dave dodged and brought his katana down on Eridan.

Eridan blocked the sword and kicked Dave in the stomach. Terezi jumped in the air, spear aimed at Eridan's throat. She landed and the spear pierced his windpipe. He got up and held his throat. Dave slashed again and cut Eridan's head off. His body stood for a few moments then fell onto it's back.

"What a creep." said Terezi.

"Agreed." said Dave. He rifled through Eridan's pockets and took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He lit one of the cigarettes and offered it to Terezi.

"It messes my "vision" up." she said. Dave placed it between his lips.

"It's safe!" he called. John and Rose walked from the shop.

"We're better off without him." said Rose. "Creepy bastard." she picked up his MAC-10 and some magazines from his headless corpse.

"This'll do nicely." she said.

John looked at Eridan.

_This guy has a one-way ticket to Hell._

* * *

_"Weeeelllllll, he ain't my boy but the brother is heavy..."  
_

_So they've fought their first Psychopath, what now? I'll decide later.  
_

_Also mutations?  
_

_-Steventheman  
_


	3. A1C3: Escape

_So anyway...Not a lot I can put up here apart from a sort of update on where the other stories are going:_

_Nanostuck and Alternia City will get written soon, I'm just having trouble being dramatic for one and comedic for the other.  
_

_Forces of Steven is written by my cousin who gets distracted easily and I can't rush him so yeah.  
_

_-Steventheman  
_

* * *

"Sure you don't want a bandage for that cut?" asked Jade.

"I'm sure." answered Terezi. "It's only a boo-boo."

"Right, the way I see it, we have three options." said John. "One: Sit here and get killed. Two: Find a shelter within the city or three: Head to another city and hope the military's there."

"I'm saying three." said Dave.

"Three..." said Nepeta.

"Thinking three's the better option." said Jade.

"Any objections?" asked John. There was none. "Where should we go?"

"The nearest known military outpost is Las Vegas." said Equius. "But we lost contact around the time our own defence was destroyed."

"My Bro was headed to Vegas." said Dave. "I'm sayin' we go do that. Let's hit the Strip."

"Alright...Next stop is the airport, I guess." said Karkat.

"Okay. Can anyone fly a plane or helicopter?" asked Rose.

"I was learning to." said Jade. "I didn't even get my licence."

"That's something." said Rose. "But I guess it'll have to do."

The group walked down the road towards the airport. There was no lights. There was no one there. Only a few zombies.

"Oh shit..." said Dave. "This ain't good."

A plane roared overhead. Terezi dropped to the ground covering her ears. Dave helped her up. She looked at her wound. It was starting to itch.

They looked at the plane. It turned around to land but it simply smashed into the airport. The explosion was massive. Terezi wimpered in pain, holding her ears.

"Everyone hide." said John. "Everyone. Fucking. Hide."

A scream echoed throughout the city. John looked around quickly for shelter. None.

"Right, everyone run into the airport!" ordered John.

"Are you fucking kidding me? It just blew up!" yelled Karkat.

"Just go you idiot!" yelled Rose. She pulled Karkat with one hand and held her machine pistol with the other.

They ran into the airport. The fire suppression systems thankfully didn't activate. The check-in desk was littered with suitcases. Karkat looked into the suitcases while Equius and Nepeta looked around for a way onto the runway.

A overweight man in a security uniform walked down the stairs in the far end of the check-in room. He fell over with a great wound across his back. He gurgled, coughed up blood and screamed at the group to run then got back up and started running at the survivors.

Rose raised her MAC-10 and fired a small stream of bullets at the zombie's legs, crippling him. He started crawling to the survivors. Jade finished him off with a shot to the torso.

"Good shot." said Dave.

"Thanks..." said Jade.

John walked over to the stairs and looked up. It led into a small hall with a resturant and a security gateway.

"Up here!" John called. The group walked over. Nepeta was able to walk now without support, but Equius still stuck with her.

Rose and John led the group as they looked in the resturant for zombies or corpses. There was two corpses in the kitchen so they left. Before going Rose checked the toilets for infected.

"No infected! If you need to go then now's your chance! Wash your hands. Gotta keeps germs at bay." she said.

After the group was finished they advanced to the security area. The metal detectors and X-Ray machines were disabled. There were some zombies nearby which they quickly dispatched. They walked into the departure lounge.

"Let's take a break here." said Equius.

"Agreed."

John and Rose sat down on a bench.

"John...Can I ask something?"

"Yeah?"

"I just feel bad about something. I guess you could say I want to confess something."

"What is it, Rose?"

"I don't feel bad at all for killing my mother. As in, no guilt, no remorse. Nothing."

"I saw you. You were crying your eyes out."

"I know. But I still just feel weird."

"It's okay..." John hugged Rose. "We have to focus on ourselves right now. Personally, I think I'm going to Hell."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not supposed to kill...Yet that's what I keep doing."

"But they're zombies, you said yourself; They need to be released from their torment."

"I guess. I don't want to say I'm doing God's work but I guess I am..." John looked at the others. "And I suppose I have to help you all the best I can."

"Yeah, you're our leader, really."

"I'm not your leader, I'm your friend - There's a big difference."

"And statements like that is why you're our leader."

John looked at Rose. She was young, and quite beautiful. He looked at his hammer, stained with dry blood. He sighed. Surely was not the time to be attracted to someone, least of all someone an entire decade younger than him.

Terezi called out to the group that she found a way to the runway. Jade looked out onto the runway. There was a red and white Huey helicopter on the opposite end.

"There's a chopper there!" she shouted excitedly. "We going now?"

"Not yet..." said John. "Let's just take it easy."

* * *

"Right, the fuel tank's ready." said Karkat.

"We're set for takeoff." said Jade.

"Is it a bad time to admit I don't like flying?" said Nepeta.

"Yes it is." said Dave.

The helicopter heaved into life. It ascended into the sky above the city. A bomber screamed into view and dropped a fuel-air explosive over the city center.

"My God." said John, shocked.

"We better leave." said Equius. "They're sterilising the city."

The helicopter turned around and started heading north for Las Vegas. John looked at his group, then at Rose who was falling asleep on his shoulder.

_Surely now isn't the time..._

* * *

_THE SURVIVORS HAVE ESCAPED or have they?  
_

_Helicopters in real life tend to be reliable so I think they have...  
_

_-Steventheman  
_


	4. A2C1: Landing

_Anyway we're now in Act II._

_-Steventheman  
_

* * *

**ACT 2: GOOD TIMES IN GOODSPRINGS.**

The helicopter juddered. Jade looked at the fuel gauge.

"Shit. We're empty." she said. "I'm setting her down."

Jade saw a small town. It had a few zombies in the streets. Jade looked at John.

"John, take my rifle and clear the landing zone." she ordered. John looked in a small box and found a rope. He tied the rope to a small hoop in the Huey's floor and slid the door open. He took aim with the rifle while Jade kept the chopper steady. He shot some zombies.

The helicopter set down on the roof of a bar. It was called the Pioneer's Saloon.

"I've heard of this place." said Dave. "We're in that town...Shit what was it called?"

"Goodsprings?" said John.

"That's the name. Fuck man we're trapped in the Mojave."

"Not really, there should be a few isolated police stations along the highway to Vegas." said Jade. "I'm sure there'll defintely be one along Interstate 15!"

"And heading north on the I15 will bring you directly to the Strip!"

Equius looked at his radio. He tuned it and raised it to his ear.

"This is Corporal Equius Zahhak, California National Guard. We need to know if there are any survivors out there. We are currently at Goodsprings, Nevada."

There was no response.

"Oh fiddlesticks." said Equius angrily.

"Excuse me, what?" Dave said. "Fucking fiddlesticks?"

"That's not funny. That's how I swear."

"It's stupid man!"

"Can we not fucking discuss this right now!" shouted Karkat.

"I thought you'd learn by now not to shout because that attracts the horde!" said Rose, trying to keep her voice down. "I'll tell you this now Vantas; You're a fucking idiot!"

"Shut the fuck up Lalonde!" Karkat raised his sickle over his head. John tapped Karkat on the shoulder.

"What!"

John grabbed Karkat by the throat. "Now is not the time to be fighting and shouting! We need to work out how to get to Vegas!" John let Karkat go. Karkat walked away, mumbling obscenities.

John looked over at the small town. He noticed some zombies in the streets.

"There's a ladder here." said Nepeta. She descended quickly before the others could react.

"Nepeta! Wait!" yelled Equius. He went down after her.

"I better go down with them." said Terezi. She went to join them.

"I'm coming too. If we encounter another crazy guy then at least I have Terezi as back up." said Dave. Karkat looked aside at the remark. Terezi smiled a little. He followed Terezi.

John leaned on a small wall and looked over the town.

Equius ran up to Nepeta. Terezi and Dave tailed behind.

"Nepeta! Wait!" he said. She stopped. "Don't run out of my sight. It's dangerous."

"Okay, sorry."

"It's alright, just don't run ahead of us, okay?"

"Okay!"

Dave turned to the bar. It was heavily fortified. He knocked on the door.

"Hello?"

No reply. Only a small moan. Dave turned to Terezi and shook his head.

"Looks like we ain't getting served."

"That sucks." said Terezi.

"I know. Anyway..." Dave looked around for infected and more importantly, Karkat. "Can I ask a question?"

"Shoot."

"How'd you lose your sight?"

"Accident."

"That's all you're saying?"

"Right now, yeah." Terezi smiled at Dave.. "But if you get to know me better maybe I'll tell you the full story sometime..."

Dave smiled back, even though Terezi couldn't possibly see it. "Maybe I will."

An heavily wounded infected flew through the window of the bar. Dave slashed at it with his katana, killing him.

"You stole my kill!" said a woman with an eyepatch wielding a shotgun. "But thanks anyway."

Dave looked at the woman. She was wearing only a vest, combat trousers and a backpack with a lot of weapons inside.

"Hi. Name's Dave."

"Vriska."

"You live in this town?"

"Yeah." Vriska rasied the shotgun up and put her hand on her waist. "You going to Vegas?"

"Yeah. I heard the army's there and my Bro's there."

Vriska laughed. "I don't know how to tell you this but Vegas got destroyed a few days ago! It was overrun and the government bombed the crap outta it!"

Dave took a few seconds to process the information. "You're bullshittin' me!"

"Nope. 100% true. Las Vegas was destroyed. I saw it. I most likely have radiation poisoning because of it."

Dave felt his eyes tear up. But Striders never cry and he wasn't breaking the tradition. "Fine, we better stay here. We have a helicopter but we're out of fuel."

"Anything special about your lot?"

"Well, we have a sniper. And a National Guardsman." said Dave.

"Good enough." Vriska held her shotgun behind her head. "You got any supplies?"

"Three bedrolls, two days of food and water with rationing and I guess that's about it."

"Dave!" John called down from the roof. "Who are you talking to?"

"We got another survivor here and she says we can stay in this place."

"That's great!"

Terezi hid from the others. She looked at the machete wound. It was red and inflamed. Terezi felt like death. She realised what Eridan had done. She started crying.

"No...It can't...Not me!" she sobbed to herself. "That bastard!"

John sat next to Rose. She held a glass of wine in her hand. He had not drunk anything.

"I'll admit, seeing as this is the end of humanity as we know it, you may as well have a damn drink, John."

"...You know what? Fuck it!" John walked over to the bar and took a bottle of whiskey from under the counter. "It's the end of the world, after all."

"Yeah! Just have some fun, John."

John drunk from the bottle. "Yeah, I should."

Over the other side of the bar Dave was with a passed out Jade. He picked her up and took her to their bedroll then returned. Nepeta and Equius were on the roof, Terezi was laughing quite uneasily with Karkat and Vriska was looking out the window with her shotgun.

"You know what, John?"

"Yeah?" John fetched a second bottle of whiskey and sat back down next to Rose.

"Can I tell you something? Strictest confidence?"

"Of course."

"I'm...I kinda like you."

"But what about the age difference?"

"Fuck the age difference."

John couldn't believe it. He wasn't sure whether to dance around or just say what he thinks back.

"I kinda like you too..." John wasn't sure why he was so open after only two bottles of whiskey, he judged he really wasn't used to alcohol at all.

"You know what? Screw it." Rose leaned over and starting kissing John. He kissed back. Dave looked over and started clapping. John stopped and looked over at Dave.

"Shut up!"

"Just applauding you on, bro!" said Dave. He called everyone else around.

"Three cheers for the Goddamned happy couple!"

Everyone cheered.

"Right, if you two want you can move your bedroll to the general store next door and have some privacy." said Vriska.

"I wasn't planning on that!" said John.

"I was." said Rose. She dragged him to the toilets.

"Yeah real romantic!" said Dave. "Try not to catch anything."

"So..." said Karkat. "What we're gonna tell that kid when she comes back?"

"Tell her that Johnny and Rosie are busy in the female toilets, fucking each other 'till the sun comes up." said Vriska.

"That's a pretty accurate look of what's happening." said Dave. He walked over to the toilets and knocked on the door.

"Don't be too loud and use some fucking protection."

_Not sure if it's the whiskey or...You know what. I love Rose._

* * *

_D'aww. Don't you love it when two survivors do something really irresponsible? Seriously, sex during a zombie apocalypse isn't really wise. Even if you use a condom, chances are is that you'll get caught short anyway by a horde and no one wants to die naked. Seriously, that would suck.  
_

_Dammit John and Rose I thought you knew more about viruses and stuff.  
_

_Also what's with Terezi?  
_

_-Steventheman  
_


	5. A2C2: Biohazard

_I might be a while writing the next chapter due to GCSE exams and revision and stuff. Yeah it sucks._

_-Steventheman  
_

* * *

Dave looked out over the Mojave desert. He thought about everything that has happened, from the fall of California all the way up to his Bro. For the first time in 20 years, he cried voluntarily.

"I didn't think you'd be one for quiet reflection." said Vriska. "Having a sensitive moment?"

"Yeah." Dave refused to say any more.

"Ignoring me, huh? Fine." Vriska got up and walked back to the ladder.

Dave stood up and looked over the town. He walked back to the ladder.

Dave walked into the bar. Karkat was looking out the window, John and Rose were sitting closely next to each other and Equius was telling Nepeta a story about something that happened while he was training and Vriska was warming up a hotplate. Jade was awake now and had her head on the table. Her hair was everywhere.

"Jade?" Dave shook her shoulder. She groaned in pain.

"What d'you want?"

"Just making sure you didn't die on us."

"Heh." Jade sat up. "It'd be a relief right now."

Terezi staggered in, holding her arm. She collapsed on a armchair. Dave walked over and looked at her arm.

"Oh my fuck." said Dave. "Oh. My. Fuck."

"I know...That stupid son of a bitch Eridan..." Terezi coughed up blood which Dave made a mental note to clean up. "He infected me."

Dave stared for a moment. "You're infected?"

"Y-yeah." Terezi grabbed Dave's arm. "I don't want to die as one of them!"

John and the others got up and ran to Terezi and Dave. Equius kept Nepeta at a distance and Karkat pushed Dave out of the way.

"Tell me you're playing a big fucking joke so we can laugh and move the fuck on. You're joking right? One big giant prank on our stupid asses! Right?" Karkat said worriedly.

"I wish. Nope I'm quite screwed." Terezi looked at Karkat's sickle then back at Karkat.

"You want me to..?"

"No! No one is killing no one!" John shouted.

"John I don't want to die as a zombie! Why are you doing this?"

Rose held her machine pistol in her hand. She walked over to Terezi and sneakily handed her the gun. She tapped her on the arm, and went away, averting her eyes.

"No!" shouted Karkat. Terezi pulled the trigger on herself. The MAC-10 dropped to the ground. Terezi sat motionless. Rose closed her eyes, head tilted down. Karkat sat in shock. Nepeta buried her head in Equius's arm. He also stared while hugging Nepeta.

"Fucking...Fuck...FUCK!" Karkat looked at Terezi's body. "WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO NOTHING!" Karkat took his sickle and smashed it through a table. He removed the straps on his body armour vest and put it on a pool table. He took his sickle and sheathed it. He opened the door and walked out. John saw him heading out of the town. He ran after him.

The group looked at Rose. She looked back.

"Did you want a zombie in here or what? C'mon, we have to get rid of the body." she walked over to the bar and took a box of vodka bottles. Dave looked at Rose drink one of the bottles then she picked up Terezi's bloodstained corpse and carried it outside.

John chased Karkat down. "Karkat! Get back here!"

"No! Fuck you all. I want to be with her!"

"Listen to yourself!" John put his hand on Karkat's shoulder. He stopped and turned around. "Look, I know you're sad. I'm not that pleased myself. But would you want to see her turn?"

"I guess not..."

"And would she want you to just up and kill yourself like this? Dehydrated in the Mojave desert until you're just a burnt, dried out, shrivelled corpse without an identity?"

"No..." Karkat said. He started crying. John put his arm over Karkat's shoulder and led him back to the saloon.

The group stood around Terezi's body silently. Nepeta was still hugging Equius. Karkat and John stood opposite from Rose.

"Look, I didn't know her that well but she was a laugh I guess." said Vriska.

"In the brief time I knew this girl, she was a good person." said Rose. She opened a bottle of vodka and poured it over the body. Karkat stared in disbelief.

"What the FUCK are you doing Lalonde!" Karkat shouted. "First you kill her then you're trying to get her corpse drunk you raging fucking psychopath!"

"Dude. Chill." said Dave. "Not supposed to be all angry and shit at a funeral. Stay silent and just think of the good times."

Rose poured a second, third and fourth bottle. Vriska handed her a box of matches.

"Ashes to ashes." Rose struck the match and ignited the alcohol. "Dust to dust."

The group watched the body burn for a while. They then headed inside. Dave found a broom and bucket in a closet and set to work cleaning the blood. Karkat sat at the bar, numb.

"Hey, bro?"

"Yeah, Dave?" said Karkat.

"I knew how you felt about Terezi. And I guess walking into the Mojave to die isn't exactly an overreaction to this."

"Nah, it was an overreaction." Karkat took a shot of vodka. "Luckily that dopey bastard John caught me."

"Yeah. Good send-off?"

"Best we could've done I suppose. I didn't want to bury her and not give her a headstone."

"Good point." Dave poured himself a glass of whiskey. "We gotta plan the next move though."

"What next move? Goodsprings is nice and safe."

"I know, but I just gotta bad feeling about this." Dave sipped some whiskey. Nepeta walked over timidly.

"Hey kid, want a drink?" asked Dave.

"Yeah, because getting a 14-year old girl drunk isn't creepy in the slightest, David. Jesus did you ever watch the news in between buying sunglasses?"

"Good to see old Karkat back. I don't like him, change back to Sadkat."

"Fuck off, cooldouche."

"I'll come back later..." said Nepeta.

"Nah, stay." said Dave. "How you doing, kid?"

"Uhh...I'm kinda scared!"

"We all are, kid, but we gotta deal. Don't see me shitting my drawers at every jump I get."

"Okay!" Nepeta said. Dave wondered how she could be so upbeat at a time like this.

"I mean, yeah of course I'm gonna shit myself at some point since it's inevitable. But once you shit yourself it's about what you use to clean it up and what you replace your underwear with, you get me?"

"Not really, but go on."

"Like Rose. She's cleaning it up with drink and replacing with John."

"So John is underwear?" said Nepeta, confused.

"Certainly smells like it." said Karkat. Dave gave him a high-five.

"Oh. And you can clean shit with drink?" Nepeta wondered.

"Not really, it makes the situation worse. Don't drink to solve problems kid. Fucking sucks."

"So why are you drinking?"

"Because I want to."

"Because I lost my friend today." Karkat said.

"Annnd now we're at the sadness stage." said Dave. "Look kid, there's four stages of getting drunk: Minor Buzz, Happy, Sad and Vomiting Into The Toilet At 3 AM."

"What about the hangover?" said Jade from behind the bar.

"That's the aftermath of the quake. Thousands trapped in buildings, people dying, screaming for the rescue dogs. It's hell out there."

"There's been an earthquake? Where?" Nepeta crouched to the ground and put her ear against the floorboards, listening for a non-existent tremor.

"The fuck's the matter with this kid?" whispered Dave to Jade.

"I think she might be taking everything you're saying literally."

John looked at the pool table. He had 3 balls left. Vriska had 5. She aimed her cue and hit the striped ball into the side of the table. It collided with the 8 Ball and the black ball fell into the corner pocket. John caught it.

"Let's say that it bounced off the side." said John.

"Thanks." said Vriska. "Damn depth perception."

John aimed with the cue and hit the solid ball into the centre pocket. He took aim again and potted a second ball. Vriska picked up the chalk and chalked her cue.

John took aim and shot the last solid into the corner. It bounced off the side and hit one of Vriska's into the centre pocket.

"Dammit."

"Thanks John." Vriska threw the chalk to John. "Two shots to me."

Vriska potted a striped ball into the corner away from John. She missed the last shot and hit one of the solids instead.

"Two shots to me." said John, throwing Vriska the chalk.

* * *

John lay in the bedroll. Rose was asleep next to him. He thought about Terezi.

_I guess she was better off dying as a human._

* * *

_Wow. Eridan was a bit of a less-than-moral person there. Most unsportsmanlike. Also I did have a theme for him but I can't get the name of it and it was some death metal song anyway. Lots of screaming.  
_

_So that's happened.  
_

_-Steventheman  
_


End file.
